Test Car Specifications
Model: 2024 Kia EV6 GT-Line S 84kWh AWD
Price: £57,175 (as tested)
Motor: two electric motors
Transmission: single-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
Battery: 84kWh lithium-ion battery
Power: 324hp
Torque: 605Nm
Emissions: 0g/km
Range: 324 miles
0-62mph: 5.3 seconds
Top speed: 116mph
Boot space: 480 litres (plus 20-litre front storage)
Styling
In terms of shape, the EV6 is much the same as it was before, but Kia has adjusted the details. Chief among the changes is the inclusion of new light designs, with a sharp and angular look at the front. On sportier GT-Line and GT-Line S models, that is combined with new front and rear bumpers, while the GT-Line S tested here now gets 20-inch alloy wheels. Are the changes an improvement? That's a question of taste, but both the old and new EV6 models still look modern and cool in their futuristic way.
Interior
As with the exterior, Kia has only made minor changes to the EV6’s cabin, so there’s a new steering wheel and a new infotainment system housing, as well as some fresh air vent designs, but the basic shape is unchanged. You still get the floating centre console, rotary gear selector and the massive touchscreen and instrument display.
Quality is unchanged, too, which means the whole car feels very well made, even if some of the plastics are a little cheap to the touch. We have to take our hat off to the engineers who bolted it together, though, because it feels robust and solid in almost every department, while the quality of the upholstery is excellent.
As is the infotainment system. Admittedly, some of the safety systems are quite fiddly to switch off, and that’s far from ideal, but generally speaking, the system is clear, crisp and easy to navigate, which makes it one of the better systems out there. And it all works really well with the digital instrument display, which is equally sharp and user-friendly.
We have our reservations about the heater controls, though, which use a touch-sensitive bank of switches combined with two rotary controls. But at the touch of an icon, it’s transformed into an audio control system, which left us trying to change the temperature and only managing to turn up the volume. Surely, you’d get used to it – and the EV6 is far from the only Kia to do it – but it is a bit of an odd arrangement.
Practicality
From the driving seat, the EV6 feels surprisingly cramped. Elbow room is quite good, but because you're essentially sitting on top of the battery, you feel as though you're sitting quite high up, and tall drivers might find their hair brushing the roof lining. Further back, however, things are much better, with acres of rear legroom and adequate headroom despite the EV6's sporty shape. Only the very tallest rear passengers will have to duck their heads.
Unfortunately, boot space is a bit less remarkable, with our all-wheel-drive GT-Line S test car offering 480 litres of rear cargo capacity. Admittedly, a base-spec, rear-wheel-drive Air model would have another 10 litres of cargo space, thanks to the deletion of the upmarket sound system, but that still doesn't give the EV6 the space of a Tesla Model 3.
That said, the Tesla splits its space between two boots, and the EV6's rear cargo space is on a par with the BMW i4, so it's not like you're going to struggle for carrying capacity. And if you need it, the Kia has a front cargo bay, too, albeit a very small one. Rear-wheel-drive cars offer 52 litres of space up front, while the all-wheel-drive car tested cut that to just 20 litres. Still, it's enough to keep the charging cables from guzzling space in the back.
Performance
The EV6 offers customers a choice of two different motor layouts, with the basic 228hp single-motor ‘RWD’ models joined by the dual-motor, 324hp ‘AWD’ versions. Both are quick, with the rear-wheel-drive, single-motor models getting from 0-62mph in a more-than-adequate 7.7 seconds, while the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive versions cut that time to a rapid 5.3 seconds.
Whichever you choose, you get the same 84kWh battery, which is larger than that of the old EV6. That means range has improved, with rear-wheel-drive cars offering up to 361 miles from a single charge, while the all-wheel-drive cars cut that to 339 miles. In the real world, you’re unlikely to achieve either figure, especially on the motorway – our test was carried out in a chilly February and saw the all-wheel-drive EV6 return just over 200 miles of motorway range – but that’s pretty much a worst-case scenario and that range is still useful.
It’s especially useful now it’s combined with slightly higher charging speeds than before. With a maximum DC charge speed of 258kW (up from 239kW), the EV6 can be charged from 10 to 80 percent in 18 minutes at maximum speed. However, charging completely from a 12-amp, three-pin plug socket will take a massive 34 hours and 40 minutes.
Ride & Handling
Kia has fettled the EV6's suspension to make the car more comfortable, and it has worked on that front. The EV6 still rides a little firmly at low speeds, but it's quite supple on the motorway or fast A-roads, and there's less of an edge to it than there was in the old car. It's pretty quiet on the road, too, and that makes it a relaxing thing to drive over longer journeys.
However, while the improved comfort is welcome, it means the car doesn't feel quite as sharp in the corners. The steering is quite numb, so you feel pretty detached from the experience, and there is a bit of body movement. It's fairly precise and well-controlled, though, so it never feels unduly alarming and it's much better than the Hyundai Ioniq 5 with which it shares so much. It just isn't quite as direct and feelsome as we'd like.
Value
EV6 prices start at £45,575, which pays for the Air specification that's only offered in single-motor, rear-wheel-drive form. But it comes with lots of kit, including 19-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, as well as the big digital instrument display and touchscreen. It gets keyless entry, a reversing camera and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration tech as standard, too, so it's a pretty comprehensive specification.
For those that want to upgrade to the all-wheel-drive version, the entry point will be the GT-Line, which starts at £48,575 in RWD form and £52,075 in AWD guise. For that money you get sportier GT-Line styling, artificial leather upholstery and some extra safety tech.
Finally, the range is topped by the GT-Line S model tested here. Starting at £53,675 , it gets larger 20-inch alloys, artificial suede upholstery and a Meridian sound system, as well as ventilated front seats and the option of a heat pump for more efficient battery temperature management. It also comes with fingerprint recognition and a digital key system, allowing you to use a phone as the key and start the car using your fingerprint, regardless of whether the key is in your pocket.
Verdict
The EV6’s upgrades are something of a mixed bag, and while we welcome the greater range and improved comfort, the changes to the styling and handling have added less. As a result, the EV6 remains a compelling choice – and we have judged it accordingly – but we were hoping for a slightly more impressive upgrade over the outgoing model.
